Bank-support



M. FARRAR.

BANK SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.22, l 9l7.

Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET MUM M. FARRAR.

BANK SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-22. 19H.

' Patented June 3, 1919.

2 Q Q v NM W ll. m. fl? g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MONROE FARRAR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BANK-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J n 3, 1919 Application filed August 22, 1917. Serial No. 187,712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONROE FARRAR, a citizen of the United States of America, and. resident of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bank-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bank supports for use in connection with trenching machines of that kind in which a trench is cut in rearv of the excavator while the machine moves slowly forward in the direction desired for the trench. V

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of bank support for preventing caving in of the banks directly in rear of the excavator, so that the workmen and laborers will be able to lay the tile in the trench, in the usual or desired manner, without danger of the earth caving in at either side thereof, which is liable to happen in sandy or soft ground, and which would interfere with the work of laying the tile in the trench.

A special object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the bank support will be pulled forward by the excavator, as the latter moves slowly forward, in a manner to preserve the desired or proper position of the bank support, so

that the bank support will be maintained at the required depth and in the proper position for the workof laying the tile in the trench.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efliciency and desirability of a bank support of this particular construction.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bank support embodying the principles of my invention, showing the rear end of the excavator or trenching machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the bank support.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises an excavator body A of any suitable character, provided with caterpillar traction devices B, and having the usual digging device in the rear thereof, which device comprises the series of digging and elevating buckets 0, all supported on a tilting beam in rear of the excavator, whereby a trench is cut in the usual and well known manner while the excavator moves slowly forward. The frame D is a partof the supporting structure for the series of excavating buckets, and is mounted, as usual, on a horizontal axis provided by the transverse operating shaft d at the rear of the excavator body.

The bank support comprises a pair of side walls E suitably spaced apart by jacks or other adjustable devices 6, whereby these two walls can be held tightly against the sides or banks of the trench. Each side wall has its lower edge provided with a shoe or runner F to slide on the bottom of the trench. The forward end portions of the two side walls are connected, adjacent to the bottom of the bank support, by a transverse beam f, and the upright member G, which preferably tapers upwardly (see Fig. 3) is provided with cleats g which engage above and below the beam f whereby the member G is firmly supported on said beam. The upper end of the member G is connected by a horizontal member H with the transverse pivot h on the frame D, the rear end of this member H being pivoted at I upon the upper end of said upright member G, whereby the latter is maintained in its upright position. 'A log or timber J is inserted transversely through the bank support, so that the ends thereof bear against the rear side of the upright member G, and draft chains or cables j lead forward from the ends of this log or beam to suitable points on the body of the excavator, whereby the bank support slides along in the trench behind the excavator. seen that said log or beam J is necessarily near the top of the trench, and should the draft in this manner be communicated directly to the front end of the bank support, the rear end of the latter would be tilted upward, as the front ends of the runners F would dig into the ground and the rear ends of the two walls E would tilt upward. To prevent this, therefore, the draft is com- .municated through the member G, from the log or timber J, and then through the beam It will be I f to the front end of the bank support, and inasmuch as the beam f is close to the bottom of the trench, it follows that the point at which the pull of the draft connections is communicated to the bank support is so low that the rear end of the bank support will not be tilted upward. The member G cannot tilt forward, for the reason that the upper end thereof is held in place by the horizontal member H. The member H, however, being pivoted at its opposite ends, can tilt slightly as the machine and the bank support move along, over uneven ground. Means are provided, of course, as for (ex ample the adjusting screw K, for tilting the digging buckets about the horizontal axis provided by the operating shaft (Z, thereby to raise and lower the buckets out of and into the ground, or for the purpose of varying the depth of the trench. If necessary or desirable, the beam f can be raised or low ered in the bank support, the ends thereof being supported in openings in the side walls E, or in any other way, and the inner sides of the side walls being provided with vertical front members 2' against the rear edges of which the beam f communicates the pressure of the draft connections.

The member H can be of any suitable form, but is preferably composed of side portions which converge to the pivotal point I, so that the pivot or cross rod it must be of some length to accommodate the broader forward end of said member.

In practice stay rods L, having suitable turn-buckles, are provided between the two side-walls E, thereby to prevent said walls from falling outward in case the dirt falls away from the sides of the bank support. It will be understood that these rods can be arranged in any suitable manner, and that with the provision'of the turn-buckles they are adjustable so that the jacks 6 can be adjusted to increase the distance between the two side walls.

As shown described therefor the bank support comprising the two walls or shields which are spaced apart, which form a sort of crib, slides on the bottom of the trench, as the trenching machine moves forward,

and the rear end of the bank support will not have a tendency to tilt upward, inasmuch as the draft is communicated with the forward end of the bank support at a point near the bottom of the trench, notwithstanding the fact that the draft chains J j extend horizontally near the top of the trench. The workmen or laborers stand in the trenclnbetween the two side walls of the bank, and lay the tile in position, and then the trench is filled in behind the bank support. It will be seen, therefore, that even in sandy or soft soil the banks will be held in place and will be prevented from caving in until after the tile are laid in position.

lVith the construction shown, it will be seen that the longitudinal member H is pivotally supported at its front and rear ends, at its front end of the frame forming a part of the trench cutter, and at its rear end on the upright member of the bank support. With this arrangement the bank support is maintained in level condition, at any depth, regardless of the angle of the trench cutter. Also, by varying the length of the chains or draft connections j and the length of the longitudinal member H, the bank support can be maintained at any desired distance behind the trench cutter. Also, by merely lengthening and shortening the chains y without changing the length of the member H, the bank support can be moved backward or forward relatively to the trench cutter.

What I claim as-my invention is:

1. In combination with a trenching machine having a tilting frame and buckets forming a trench cutter, a bank support adapted to follow in the trench behind the machine, a draft connection extending rearward from the machine to said bank sup port, an upright member through the lower portion of which the draft is communicated from said connection to the forward end portion of the bank support, and means extending forward to the trench cutter to maintain the upright position of said member, thereby to keep the bank support in position while moving forward behind the excavator.

:2. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which said means include a longitudinally disposed brace having its forward end sup ported on the excavator and its rear end supported on said member, thereby to prevent the pull of said draft connection from tilting the upper end of said member forward.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which said bank support consists of a pair of side walls spaced apart and connected together at their forward ends in front of said member, so that the draft connection pulls said member against the connection between the forward ends of said walls, thereby to prevent the rear end of said bank support from tilting upward.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which means are provided for communicating the draft to said upright member at a point near the top of the trench, and for communicating the draft from said upright member to the bank support at a point nearer the bottom of the trench.

5. In a bank support, the combination of a pair of side walls to prevent caving in of the banks of a trench, means for spacing said walls apart, an upright member disposed between the side walls, a draft connection comprising two flexible members leading to said upright member, means below said draft connection to communicate the draft from said upright member to the for ward end of the bank support, and means extending forward over said draft connection to steady and hold the upper end of said upright member in position.

6. In a bank support for use in laying tile in trenches, the combination of a pair of sidewalls having shoes by which they are supported to slide on the bottom of the trench, with space between the lower edges of said walls to leave the bottom of the trench exposed, means to maintain the two walls spaced apart to prevent caving in of the banks, a forwardly extending flexible draft connection for pulling said walls for ward with said shoes resting on the bottom of the trench, so that the bank support rests on the bottom of the trench, and a connection to automatically keep the bank support level for any depth of trench.

7 A structure as specified in claim 6, said connections comprising overhead means for preventing the draft from tilting up the rear ends of said walls, and whereby the bank support automatically remains level and is self adjusting for any depth of trench. V

S. In combination with a trenching machine, a pair of side walls adapted to bear against the opposite sides of the trench, shoes to support the side walls on the bottom of the trench, a member extending transversely to connect together the front ends of said walls, an upright member having-its lower end portion supported by said transverse member, flexible draft connections extending rearward from the trenching machine, means to impose the pull of said flexible connections on said upright member at a point above said transverse member, a longitudinal member extending forward from the upper end of said upright member, and a support on the trenching machine for the forward end of said longitudinal member, said transverse member being disposed adjacent to said shoes.

9. A structure as specified in claim 8, said means for communicating the pull of said flexible connections to said upright member consisting of a transverse member inserted through the side walls in rear of said upright member.

10. A structure as specified in claim 8,

said longitudinal member being pivotally supported at its front and rear ends, substantially as shown and described, so that each end tilts about a transverse and horizontal axis.

11. The combination of a trenching machine provided at its rear end with a tilting frame and an endless series of buckets forming a trench cutter, a structure adapted to slide on the bottom of the trench behind the trench cutter to prevent caving in of the banks or sides of the trench, forming abank support, and a connection extending from said bank support to said trench cutter, having provisions whereby the bank support may automatically remain level and at the proper depth regardless of the angle of the trench cutter.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 11th day of August 1917.

MONROE FARRAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissionerof Patents, Washington, D. G. 

